NEA announces reorganization

On October 17, 1995, the NEA announced the following reorganization
which you may find of interest. National Endowment for the Arts
Reorganization Information

New Agency Structure: Our reduced funding and agency reinvention
mean a major reorganization of remaining agency staff.  New
assignments will take effect on December 20 and the full
reorganization will take effect in January 1996.  Organizational
charts are available on the new agency structure and staffing.

New Grantmaking Categories: A reinvented and reorganized agency will
be operational in January 1996.  The Endowment will provide project
support to organizations and institutions through four main
categories.

    1.  Heritage & Preservation:  Projects must honor, assist, and
        make visible those arts rooted in and reflective of the many
        traditions that make up our nation, as well as preserve the
        most significant artistic accomplishments for future
        generations.

    2.  Creation & Presentation:  Projects may range from 1) the
        creation of new works, by providing the resources, time, and
        space to create a specific work or body of work to 2) the
        presentation of existing works of any period and in any arts
        discipline to audiences through a diverse range of
        activities in formal or informal settings.

    3.  Education & Access:  Projects must broaden and deepen
        educational experiences for all ages, particularly young
        Americans, and make the arts available to those who, by
        virtue of geography, economic conditions, ethnic background,
        disability, or age, lack adequate opportunities to
        participate in the arts.

    4.  Planning & Stabilization:  Projects must offer arts
        organizations, large and small, the opportunity to clarify
        and strengthen their missions, build their capacity and
        resources, adapt to current funding circumstances, and
        sustain the arts during a time of constant change.

In addition, the agency will support:

    Partnership Activities that assist the 56 state and
    jurisdictional arts agencies in carrying out arts plans that
    benefit a state's artists, arts organizations, arts education
    efforts with the state's, local's, and regional's.

    Leadership Initiatives that encourage  organizations, large and
    small, to support projects of national significance and impact,
    or that serve as models, in one field or across disciplines.

The Arts Community:  The Arts Endowment will support all arts
disciplines and fields, including arts education, dance, design,
expansion arts, folk & traditional arts, international projects,
literature, media arts, museums, music, opera-musical theater,
presenting, theater, and visual arts.

The Endowment remains committed to supporting equitable opportunity
for all organizations and investment in as diverse a reflection of
our society as possible.

Further Changes:  The agency will no longer be divided into
discipline programs, although maintaining strong discipline
expertise within the agency and in the review of applications
remains a priority.  Organizations may submit only one application
per year to one of the four categories. Congress has eliminated
seasonal support and direct grants to individuals except literature,
Jazz Masters and Heritage fellowships.

New Guidelines:  A new, single guideline book describing the four
new theme categories, eligibility requirements, review criteria and
the application process will be available in January 1996. It is
anticipated that the book will cover the remaining part of FY 1996
and FY 1997 as well. Organizations that have not yet received a copy
of the book by mid-January should contact the agency at
202-682-5400.

Future Applications:  The number of applications coming into the
agency will have to be substantially reduced because of major staff
reductions.

After reading the new guidebook in January, applicants are
encouraged to contact the discipline advisor or specialist
representing their particular field before submitting an application
to one of the four categories.  Each application, regardless of the
theme category to which it is submitted, will be received first by
the appropriate discipline advisor or specialist, who then will
implement a discipline/field-based process with experts in that
field to review each application.  The most outstanding applications
will be submitted to the broader theme panel.

Informational Materials:  Individual programs at the Endowment have
begun disseminating letters and fact sheets to their respective
fields and how we are dealing with applications, categories, and
deadlines in the interim period between now and February 1996.  By
mid to late November of 1995, the agency will be able to provide
more detailed information on the reorganization and how it will
affect potential applicants.  At that time, we will disseminate
information as it becomes available.

General Information:  Fiscal Year 1996 will be a transition year.  A
major restructuring of any organization, whether in the public or
private sector, involves a high degree of cooperation, flexibility,
patience, and vision by those affected both within and outside of
the organization.  The Endowment staff is working extremely hard to
ensure that our reinvented agency continues to fulfill its mission
to foster the excellence, diversity, and vitality of the arts in
America and to broaden public access to the arts.

If you have questions about the new agency reorganization, please
contact the Office of Communications at 202-682-5570.

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 9:41
                Distributed: Saturday, November 11, 1995
                        Message Id: cdl-9-41-001
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